Neon vintage style signs, brightly coloured leather banquettes, a cool pop soundtrack and a menu filled with American classics to see you through from breakfast to dinner, The Diner on the Strand is the newest in this collection of awesome American style diners serving up a host of favourites from across the pond.
The Venue
About midway down The Strand you will find The Diner. Like the many sister restaurants that have come before it, this restaurant knows who it is. There is no identity crisis here; the long restaurant hosts a bar decorated with old movie style lightboxes brightly displaying the flavours of the many delicious milkshakes they offer, as well as plenty of food favourites and their social media handles so you can make sure your Instagrammed shake ends up in their notifications! A very large neon sign on the main wall has every intent on reminding you that you are in-fact in The Diner, as you make yourself comfortable in one of their many deep blue booths and peruse the vast, saliva-inducing menu!
The classic American Diner set-up has been perfected across their many London restaurants.
The Food & Drinks
If you’re like me, when you think of Diners you’ll think of American breakfast classics and carb and sugar heavy mains… pancakes and french toast, sizzling hot dogs, sloppy burgers and super cheesy fries, and if you’ve come to The Diner expecting to find those sorta dishes on the menu then you will not be disappointed.
The well-packed menu offers all of these things, and more. Breakfast is offered all day and includes the well loved Full English, brunch faves like Eggs Benny and scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, and then there’s the incredible selection of American style pancakes including blueberry, red velvet (*swoon*) and the more savoury option of sweet potato with guac and bacon! I’m ashamed to admit that on my visit I was feeling a little under the weather, due in part to the multiple glasses (okay... pints) of wine I’d enjoyed the previous night, but it transpires that The Diner is the cure for those kind of bad life decisions! With a triple stack order of the sweet potato pancakes with a lovely mountain of chilli peppered guac and a pot of syrup, and a side basket order of a nostalgic favourite of mine from American holidays past, corn dogs, my hangover began to subside. The pancakes which wore a beautiful orangey hue were fluffy and had a hint of sweetness from the potato. With a hefty scoop of the guac or a generous dunk into the syrup, each mouthful swapped from lunch to dessert; the perfect carb and sugar cure combo!
Told you - the Red Velvet Pancakes are something else.
My corn-dogs were golden and juicy. The light, soft battered coat had a subtle crispness to them, contrasting with the juicy, bright pink dogs hiding cosily beneath. It’s the American take on a battered sausage that we’d find in our much loved chippies, but rather there’s a hint of sweetness in the cornmeal batter and it’s served on a stick, making it easier to plunge into ketchup and mustard for that authentic American taste!
My friend took a healthier option to me (as if I wasn’t already feeling bad about myself enough!) and enjoyed their caesar salad, but like the maverick she is, she ordered a side of poached eggs to give it a brunch twist. The salad came heaped with dressing soaked crunchy cos lettuce, salty anchovies and crisp croutons, all brightened up with the beautiful golden yolk which dribbled down through the lettuce. A wonderful salad-brunch fusion!
Hearty patties and favourites like the Coney Island Dog are on the cards at The Diner.
Summary
Whether you’re feeling fresh as a daisy or a little worse for wear, The Diner is the answer. How can you not feel more human after a big plate of delicious carbs and sugar? With a super cool ambience that makes you feel relaxed and really friendly, attentive service from a team who don’t judge you for your bad life choices but rather make perfect recommendations on what will fix them, this is an awesome place to go with friends for casual, delicious dining.
